Enter into Neth Space and you will find thoughts and reviews of books and other media that fit the general definition of speculative fiction. This includes the various genres and sub-genres of fantasy, science fiction, epic fantasy, high fantasy, hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, new weird, magical realism, cyberpunk, urban fantasy, slipstream, horror, alternative history, SF noir, etc. Thoughts are my own, I'm certainly not a professional, just an avid reader avoiding his day job.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Mini-Review: Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb

The books of Robin Hobb are some that have been sitting there on
the shelf for a long time. I first read The
Farseer Trilogy nearly 15 years ago and followed relatively quickly with The Liveship Traders Trilogy. I’ve always
meant to read the books in The Tawny Man
Trilogy, but for whatever reason, it hasn’t happened. And now, with Hobb
returning to the story of Fitz in a new trilogy (The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy – first book Fool’s Assassin), and seeing people whose opinions I trust say how
great that return is, I finally took the plunge with Fool’s Errand, the first book of TheTawny Man Trilogy.

So, what’s it like to return to the story of someone after a 15
year break? Well, when your reading ‘old-fashioned’, 1990’s/early 2000’s era
fantasy, it works great. Fool’s Errand
is quite long for the story that’s told – much of it is spent re-introducing
the reader to Fitz and others, which is exactly what I needed. There are hints
and remembrance of the Farseer
books, and I vaguely remember what happened, but only in broad terms. So, the
details don’t mean much, while providing me what I need to move on.

While I often avoid traditionally, BFF (big, fat fantasy) books, I
can see a real value in the level of immersion that it provides. You really get
to know Fitz, see what drives him, understand those motivations, and therefore,
share in the journey – tragic or triumphant. This further impacted by the first-person
narration that Hobb does so well.

As I read Fool’s Assassin,
I felt a lot of nostalgia – this is in part driven to me searching my memory
for books read 15 years ago, and in part because the style of Fool’s Errand feels like something from
the past in comparison with so many of the books I read today. And it was like
snuggling down into an especially comfortable bed and piling on those warm,
soft blankets – it was pleasure.

Looking up, I see that this ‘review’ has rambled on about how I
felt about reading the book, without much actual discussion of the book itself.
Well, take it or leave it – most of you reading this review have probably read Fool’s Errand, or at least one book in The Farseer Trilogy. You are ‘the choir’.
There’s a damn good chance that reading this review is your own form of
nostalgia. Isn’t it great?

So, do I have you feeling all warm and fuzzy about a book that’s about
an assassin coming out of retirement? Returning to the court that ‘executed’
him in spite of him saving the kingdom? As you remember The Farseer Trilogy, do you think this one is going to turn out
well?

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About Me

I’m just a guy avoiding the responsibilities of my day job by blogging about the books I love. Far from being a true critic, I’m just a fan who has come to love sharing my thoughts on the books I read and other general happenings in the SFF world. The side bar has plenty of links to contact info, reviewing policy, and indexes of reviews and other posts in addition to numerous links of interest.